Cracking Sail To Portland For HOLT

Disabled Sailing News

Quadriplegic sailor, Geoff HOLT (GBR), arrived at the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy on Tuesday afternoon, completing the second leg of his attempt to be the first disabled person to sail around Great Britain.

HOLT left Lymington in his 15 ft Challenger trimaran, Freethinker, at 04:30 on Tuesday morning to sail the 44 miles to Portland. The sail took longer than HOLT anticipated due to lack of wind on part of the voyage, but he was elated to arrive in Portland around 15:00.

'It was an absolutely cracking sail,' he said. 'Despite the fact that sometimes the wind dropped to almost nothing, the sun was shining and when the breeze got up I really enjoyed it.'

HOLT and his team were welcomed by the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy and members of the local Rotary club. Rotarians around the Great Britain will be helping HOLT and his team with many of the practical problems they will encounter on his voyage.

Olympic Venue Impresses

'The Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy is the venue for the London 2012 Sailing Olympics,' said HOLT last night, 'It's a great place. They have given us a lovely dinner and now I am relaxing and looking at the lovely view out to sea thinking about the 58 miles I have to sail to Brixham tomorrow! I am told that the wind is likely to be northerly 10 knots until the afternoon and I am hoping to get going fairly early again.'

HOLT is still in Portland this morning and unable to start the next leg of his round Great Britain sail at dawn as planned, due to excess wind at his start point. There is a possibility that he may leave later today and sail to Lyme Regis and will continue on to Brixham when the weather allows.

Supporters can find more information on HOLT's challenge and follow his progress on the event website - www.personaleverest.com.